One possible location for New Belgium's Florida brewery.In an announcement that stunned the craft beer world, New Belgium Brewing, based in Fort Collins, Colorado, squashed rumors this morning that it would open an East Coast brewery in one of those cities, announcing instead that the new facility will open in Florida.

“For the past 15 years, we’ve been telling Floridians that our beer would be available in their state ‘in about two years.’ Face it, we owe those people,” said a spokesperson who asked to remain unnamed because the final contracts have not been signed.

Reportedly, the employee owned, alternatively powered makers of Fat Tire Ale will build the plant in the middle of the Everglades.

“There’s plenty of room, labor’s cheap, and we’ll be able to power our brewery from the natural gas wells that we’ve heard are going to be drilled there,” the spokesperson said.

What really put Florida on New Belgium’s radar, though, was the water available through the municipal water systems.

“We put it through some tasting tests,” the spokesperson said. “One day it tasted like sulfur, the next day it tasted like chlorine and the day after that, it had a funky odor like unwashed socks. The possibilities of working with random factors like that are exciting.”

The brewery is expected to begin operations by April 1, 2014. Beer will be distributed throughout the Sunshine State two years after that.

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Jeff Gladish, Tampa (989.3, 175.1 Apparent Rennarian)Homebrewing since 1990AHA member since 1991, now a lifetime member BJCP judge since 1995

NB had been surveying in the area according to reports so I kinda figured it was a done deal. I believe with the additions of NB and SN to the area in addition to the other, gosh is it 14 in the county the place will become even more of a beer oasis.